Car garage

ABSTRACT

A garage with improved utilization of space enabling two vehicles to be parked one above the other, comprising a garage entrance floor leading to the garage box having a garage floor lower than the entrance floor and housing upper and lower platforms for raising and lowering vehicles to be parked. The platforms are joined together through rigid connecting rods and are guided in their movement by stationary vertical guide means. A hydraulic cylinder is operative to raise and lower the upper platform and through it the lower platform while catch hooks extending into the garage box from the entrance floor engaged by that end of the lower platform to limit the upward movement of said lower platform when raised to its upper or car entry position. The upper platform is composed of two hingedly connected sections, namely an interior section with its inner end mounted for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis and an outer section joinable with the garage entrance floor, said hydraulic cylinder being operatively connected to said outer section and both sections of said upper platform being separately connected by said rods to the lower platform.

United States Patent [191 Lendi Dec. 9, 1975 CAR GARAGE [75] Inventor: Ulrich Lendi, Stafa, Switzerland [73] Assignee: Firma Mageba, Bulach, Switzerland [22] Filed: Mar. 6, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 448,571

[44] Published under the Trial Voluntary Protest Program on January 28, 1975 as document no. B 448,571.

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Primary Examiner Albert J. Makay Assistant Examiner-R. B. Johnson Altorney, Agent, or Firm-Williarn Anthony Drucker [57] ABSTRACT A garage with improved utilization of space enabling two vehicles to be parked one above the other, comprising a garage entrance floor leading to the garage box having a garage floor lower than the entrance floor and housing upper and lower platforms for raising and lowering vehicles to be parked. The platforms are joined together through rigid connecting rods and are guided in their movement by stationary vertical guide means. A hydraulic cylinder is operative to raise and lower the upper platform and through it the lower platform while catch hooks extending into the garage box from the entrance floor engaged by that end of the lower platform to limit the upward movement of said lower platform when raised to its upper or car entry position. The upper platform is composed of two hingedly connected sections, namely an interior section with its inner end mounted for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis and an outer section joinable with the garage entrance floor, said hydraulic cylinder being operatively connected to said outer section and both sections of said upper platform being separately connected by said rods to the lower platform.

6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures Sheet 1 0f 3 3,924,760

US. Patent Dec. 9, 1975 US. Patent Dec. 9, 1975 Sheet 2 of3 3,924,760

U.S. Patent Dec.9-,'1975 Sheet 3 of3 3,924,760

CAR GARAGE FIELD OF INVENTION The invention relates to a garage for parking two vehicles one above the other, comprising a parking area disposed in a recessed position relative to the entrance and two platforms, connected laterally by means of rigid pull rods, which accommodate the parked vehicles, whose ends adjacent the entrance can be optionally joined to the latter; the upper platform having its inner end remote from the entrance so mounted on a stationary support as to be capable of pivotal movement about a horizontal axis and the platforms can thereby be raised by means of a hydraulic cylinder articulated between the garage floor and the upper platform and wherein the lower platform is moved in a stationary rectilinear guide directed upwards from the garage floor.

THE PRIOR ART A two car garage of this type is disclosed in West German patent document DT-OS l,946,950 showing two rigid platforms, both of which are approximately the length of the garage. To adapt the construction to the drive-in position for the upper platform, the height of the stationary support must be such that sufficient space remains for the vehicle parked on the lower platform. Because of the excessive height required for such a tall support, it will be obvious that where the lower platform is in raised position great space in turn is required at the top of the garage to accommodate the vehicle parked on the upper platform which has also been raised, between the upper platform and the garage ceiling. Furthermore, owing to the height of the support on which the inner end of the upper platform pivots, hydraulic cylinders with correspondingly great stroke lengths and lifting distances are required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of this present invention to provide a garage of the aforementioned type for parking two vehicles one above the other with improved utilization of space or smaller space requirements respectively.

It is a further object to provide a garage of the character described, employing two vehicle platforms mounted one above the other wherein the upper one is formed of two hingedly connected sections, permitting a substantial reduction in the overall height of the platform assembly and a resulting lessening of the roof-toceiling dimension of the garage box.

These objects are attained in the present invention by constructing the upper platform which connects at its inner end to the top of a fixed frame in pivot relation to said frame, in two sections namely an inner section that is pivotally connected to the frame on a transverse horizontal axis and an outer section that is hingedly connected to the said inner section and while normally lying in the same plane as the inner section is capable of being hinged to an angular position relative thereto to be joined to the garage entrance. By providing this novel, hingedly connected, two section construction of the upper platform, it is possible to utilize a frame support member of lessened height for the pivotal mounting of the inner end of the platform since the angular decline of the outer hinged section adopts well to the contour of the rear of a vehicle parked on the lower platform. By dropping the height of the frame support member, the ceiling height of the garage is lowered and furthermore with the upper platform level being dropped, a cost saving is effected in the utilization of an hydraulic cylinder calling for a shorter lifting path.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To the accomplishment of these and related objects as shall become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

The invention will be best understood and can be more clearly described when reference is had to the drawings forming a part of this disclosure wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a garage and mechanism therein for the stacked parking of two vehicles on platforms located one above the other and pivotally mounted at their inner ends so the outer end of either can be joined to the garage entrance, with the upper platform having an outer section hingeable out of the plane of the inner section to join the garage entrance;

FIG. 2 is a similar longitudinal section of a modified structure; and

FIG. 3 is a similar longitudinal section of a further modified structure.

Referring particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a garage box 1 is shown having a floor 2 which is slightly inclined and is disposed in a lower position than the garage entrance floor 3, and an entry opening 4, the height of which is substantially equivalent to that of a normal garage. A base frame 5 is secured on the floor 2 having a vertical support 15, rising to the height of an upper platform 13 formed integral with the base frame 5 on the end of the frame remote from the entrance 4. The upper platform 13 is attached by its inner end to the top of the support 15 and capable of pivotal movement about an axis 16 relative to the support 15. The

upper platform 13 is connected to a lower platform 6 by means of two longitudinally spaced pull rods 17 and 18 which are articulated on the platforms at their end points. The pull rod 18, which is adjacent the entrance 4, has an adjustable screw 19 for length adjustment, in order to set the vertical spacing of the outer ends of the platforms with precision. The vertical support 15 has a post 7 spaced forwardly therefrom which forms, to gether with an intermediate post 8 parallel thereto, a vertical guide for a laterally projecting roller 9 which is rotatably secured on the lower platform 6. The roller 9 moves vertically in this guide whenever the platform 6 is raised from the lowered position 6a shown by dotdash line into the vehicle entry position shown in solid line or lowered out of this position respectively. The end of the lower platform 6 adjacent the entrance 4 has a stop 10, engageable from below with the underside of catch hook 11 extending into the garage box from the entrance floor. In the position illustrated for the lower platform 6, the pull rods 17 and 18 have raised the platform until the stops 10 are arrested by their respective catch hooks 11 and also stops, if desired, in the vicinity of the vertical guide 7,8. In the lowered position of the upper platform 13, i.e., in its vehicle entry position shown by the dot-dash line 13c, the pull rods occupy 3 the positions 17e or l8e respectively. The lifting cylinder 14 is articulated on the base frame at 20 and on the upper platform at 21.

In the present invention the upper platform 13 is composed of two hingedly connected sections, the inner section 13a being pivotally connected to the upper end of support 15 for turning on the horizontal axis 16 and the outer sections 13b joinable with the garage entrance being hinged at its inner end to the outer end of said inner section by the transverse horizontal pivot pin 28. The inner pull rod 17 is mounted on the axis of the roller 9 at its lower end and connected to the inner section of the upper platform at its upper end. The outer pull rod 18 articulated on the lower platform at its lower end is articulated on the outer section of the upper platform at its upper end at a point between the free outer end of such outer section and the fulcrum point 21 where the lifting cylinder 14 connects. During the descending movement of the hydraulic cylinder 14, the two sections 13a and 13b, of the upper platform 13, remain in their extended position, in which they are located in the same plane, until the lower platform 6 rests on the base floor of the garage. Consequently the temporary end position of pivotal movement for the inner section 13a of the upper platform 13 is attained. Owing to the further descending movement of the lifting cylinder 14, the outer section 13b of the upper platform 13 hinges with respect to the inner section 13a on the pivot 28, until its free end rests upon the entrance floor 3. In this end position of the two platforms the inner section 132 of the upper platform 13 extends approximately parallel to the lower platform 6. And vice versa, in the course of the lifting movement of the hydraulic cylinder 14, when the upper platform 13 is raised out of the entry position into the parking position shown in FIG. 1, firstly the hinged outer section 13b of the upper platform 13 is raised until the face 29 of its inner end pivoting about the axis 28 abuts the confronting face 30 on the outer end of inner section 13a and the two hingedly connection sections 13a and 13b are again located in the same plane. In this abutting or restored coplanar position, on being further raised by means of the hydraulic cylinder 14, the inner section 13a of the upper platform 13 is also taken along as the entire upper platform pivots about the axis 16 relative to the support 15. As the lifting movement progresses, the inner end of the lower platform 6 is finally raised, in the vicinity of the guide 7,8 until it reaches the top of the guide or other stop which limits the upward movement of the roller 9. In this end position, the platforms extend at an inclined angle in relation to each other and open progressively from the garage entrance to the rear wall of the garage. Thus it will be seen that with this unique guide connection the platforms so co-act that when the lower platform is joined to the entrance, the vertical distance between the outer ends of the respective platforms is less than the vertical distance between their inner ends whereas when the upper platform is joined to the entrance its inner section lies approximately parallel to the lower platforms while its outer section extends in relatively folded position to the entrance.

FIG. 2 shows a modification of FIGv 1. The upper platform 13 in this case is also mounted at the upper end of the support 15, for pivotal movement about the axis 16. The upper platform 13 and the lower platform 6 are connected together by means of the longitudinally spaced rods 17 and 18 articulated thereupon. The

vertical guide for the lower platform 6 is constructed as a pillar 22 fixed on the floor or frame 8 adjacent the entrance. The roller 9, rotatably mounted on the lower platform 6, is accommodated in a vertical slot 23 of the pillar. The pillar 22 further carries the counter bearing 23a for the upper fulcrum 24 of the hydraulic cylinder 14, the lower end of which is articulated on the lower platform 6 at 25. The Kinematics and operation sequence for the two platforms is otherwise similar to that described in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a further modification of the garage construction, which is distinguished from that shown in FIG. 1 by a separated arrangement of the vertival guide 26 for the lower platform 6 from the support 15. The vertical guide 26 includes two spaced parallel posts 27, between which the roller 9 is guided. Here again the movements of both platforms corresponds to that described with reference to FIG. 1.

In each of these drawings, the vehicle parking mechanism is seen in elevation as from the left side, however, it is pointed out that the opposite side of such mechanism is the same, with the frame roller guides, platform connecting rods, hydraulic cylinders and entrance end stop hooks merely duplicated.

Throughout the description, the term inner end may be used at times to designate an area or part remote from the garage entrance 4 and outer end to designate an area, portion or part adjacent to the said garage entrance. Furthermore, the longitudinally spaced pairs of rigid connecting rods 17-18 are described as pull rods which is proper as regards the structures shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 for such rods are under tension whereas the connecting rods 17-18 in FIG. 2 are more accurately regarded as push rods as they are under compression. However, in both cases these connecting rods are applied laterally in the same way to the platforms 13 and 6 with their upper ends articulated to the upper platform and their lower ends articulated to the lower platform respectively.

Various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A garage for parking two vehicles one above the other comprising a garage box parking area having an entrance opening providing access thereto, an entrance floor, a garage box floor located at a lower level than said entrance floor, allowing said parking area to be disposed in a recessed position relative to the garage entrance; upper and lower parking platforms, each operative to accommodate a vehicle, whose outer ends are optionally joinable with the garage entrance; a longitudinally spaced pair of rigid rods laterally connecting said platforms, on each side, with their upper and lower ends articulated to the upper and lower platforms respectively; a stationary support on which the -inner end of said upper platform is pivotally mounted for movement about a horizontal axis; and a vertically disposed guide for said lower platform rising from the ga rage floor; wherein said upper platform is composed of two hingedly connected sections, with the inner section 5. The garage according to claim 1, characterized by a guide connection between the two platforms such that, in the position where the lower platform is joined to the entrance, the vertical distance between the outer ends of the respective platforms is less than the vertical distance between the inner ends of the said platforms.

6. The garage according to claim 1, characterized by a guide connection between the two platforms such that, in the position where the upper platform is joined to the entrance, its inner section extends approximately parallel to the lower platform, while its outer section extends in relatively folded position to the entrance. 

1. A garage for parking two vehicles one above the other comprising a garage box parking area having an entrance opening providing access thereto, an entrance floor, a garage box floor located at a lower level than said entrance floor, allowing said parking area to be disposed in a recessed position relative to the garage entrance; upper and lower parking platforms, each operative to accommodate a vehicle, whose outer ends are optionally joinable with the garage entrance; a longitudinally spaced pair of rigid rods laterally connecting said platforms, on each side, with their upper and lower ends articulated to the upper and lower platforms respectively; a stationary support on which the inner end of said upper platform is pivotally mounted for movement about a horizontal axis; and a vertically disposed guide for said lower platform rising from the garage floor; wherein said upper platform is composed of two hingedly connected sections, with the inner section being pivotally connected to said stationary support and the outer section being joinable with the garage entrance and said longitudinally spaced connecting rods are articulated at their upper ends to said upper platform''s inner and outer sections respectively.
 2. The garage according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting rods nearest the entrance are adjustable in length.
 3. The garage according to claim 1, characterized in that an hydraulic cylinder articulated between the garage floor and the outer section of the upper platform is provided for movement of the platforms.
 4. The garage according to claim 3, characterized in that the connecting rod articulated on the outer section of the upper platform is artiCulated thereto at a point between the fulcrum of the hydraulic cylinder and the outer end of the section.
 5. The garage according to claim 1, characterized by a guide connection between the two platforms such that, in the position where the lower platform is joined to the entrance, the vertical distance between the outer ends of the respective platforms is less than the vertical distance between the inner ends of the said platforms.
 6. The garage according to claim 1, characterized by a guide connection between the two platforms such that, in the position where the upper platform is joined to the entrance, its inner section extends approximately parallel to the lower platform, while its outer section extends in relatively folded position to the entrance. 